Pediatric ovarian sliding inguinal hernia, is surgical repair urgent?

Objectives: To find if repairing sliding inguinal hernias containing the ovary should be carried out urgently or not.

Methods: A retrospective chart review carried out at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 2015-2022. All cases with an ovarian inguinal hernia in females aged 0-14 years were reviewed after obtaining approval from the Institutional Review Board.

Results: Female children with inguinal hernia patients were 191. A total of 28 cases were sliding inguinal hernias involving the ovary. All were repaired electively except for 4 cases that had an initial presentation of an incarcerated ovary at age less than 90 days which required urgent reduction and repair.

Conclusion: Based on our review, ovarian sliding hernias in female patients can be repaired electively, although newborns are at a higher risk of complications from sliding inguinal hernias.